A/N: Here it is. The long awaited NaNo fic from 2021 written by myself and Hughville. This story kinda jumps around so hopefully it's easy to figure out.

Disclaimer: We don't own the characters of House or any other from the FOX series show. Any other characters are fictional.

Chapter One

1669

Ann Wilson stood before the tribunal which she knew consisted of nothing more than loyalists to Magistrate House. Her fate was sealed months ago when the Magistrate trapped her in the woods and she rebuffed his advances for what would be the last time.

Looking up at him, hatred flowed through her like a fire out of control. If she was a witch, she would cast a death spell on him. Oh, how she would enjoy watching him wither away to nothing! Alas, she was not a witch, nor were any of the other women who rebuffed this arrogant servant of the Crown.

They came to this new land to be free from persecution for what they believed. She and her beloved husband, Evan, saved their meager wages so they could afford passage to the New World. Their son, James, was born here. They were happy until her husband was killed while hunting. Even that death held suspicion in her eyes. Somehow, though she would never be able to prove it, she knew Magistrate House was responsible for what was deemed an accident. She also knew he was responsible for selling her sweet son to a family in a neighboring town. All she knew was they were known by the name Cuddy and the master of the house was a physician.

Now she stood before Magistrate House, hands bound before her, and waited as he preened and strutted before the men who so admired him. Behind her, the rest of the townspeople waited for his decree. When he finally turned his sharp blue eyes to look at her, she looked back at him with defiance.

"Mistress Wilson," he said with a cruel smile. "What say you to these charges brought against you?"

"I am not a witch."

Magistrate House laughed revealing the dimples on either side of his mouth. She often wondered if he were of a different disposition, if the dimples, the large blue eyes and the tall, well muscled frame would be seen as attractive. Unfortunately, the streak of cruelness that ran through him soured any attraction she might feel for him.

He shook his head and looked at her with an air of pity which she knew to be false.

"For if I were indeed a witch," she continued, "you would be dead."

Behind her the crowd of townspeople roared their outrage and Magistrate House advanced on her. Holding up his hand to quiet the people, he looked down at her in triumph.

"Good people of New Hopewell," he called out as he continued to look at her with a mix of desire and hatred. "You have heard this woman speak ill of me and wish me death. You have seen the evil deeds she conducts at her apothecary. You know of the other women in her coven who have been hanged. What say you?"

Chants of "Hang her!" rang out behind her. Her fate was now sealed and she would die. She would never see her son again. Again, the fire of hatred flared up in her. Rough hands grabbed her and pulled her toward the tree where she would hang. As the noose was pulled over her head and fastened around her neck, she stood proudly.

Magistrate House waved all the people away and bent down. He brushed a dark curl away from her face.

"All you had to do was lie with me when I wanted you," he whispered in her ear.

"Death is preferable," she smiled. "I will have my revenge on you one way or another, John House."

He growled and stepped back. She felt the noose tighten and struggled before everything shifted. She felt herself floating and then she saw her lifeless body swaying at the end of the rope. She saw John House pointing at her and speaking. Why had she not passed on to the afterlife to join her husband? Then she knew. Her hatred for John House held her to the earthly realm. No matter how long it took, she would make him or one of his ancestors pay for the events that took place in this town.

2020

Lisa Cuddy and her friends tramped through the woods in New Hopewell, New Jersey. It was a beautiful early spring day for a hike. There was a chill in the air and she could smell woodsmoke in the distance.

"This is it!" Allison Cameron exclaimed. "They used to hang witches here in the sixteen hundreds. This is all that remains of the common house."

They walked around the stone remains. Cuddy smiled at Cameron's excitement. They became fast friends when Cuddy hired Cameron as the head of Immunology at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. At first, Cuddy was worried that her position as Dean of Medicine would cause Cameron to keep her distance. Instead, Cameron treated her with respect at the hospital but got Cuddy to try new things as their friendship blossomed. She knew Cameron was fascinated with history and was a psychic medium. Cuddy was skeptical of the whole psychic medium thing until Cameron began to tell her things no one could possibly know.

As Cuddy reached out to touch the stones, she felt everything go black.

Cameron saw Cuddy stumble and then right herself. Her friend's aura shifted and for a brief moment a woman who looked similar to her appeared. Cameron knew it was a spirit. She watched as the spirit merged with Cuddy. Cameron could sense the spirit wanted something which would explain why she took over Cuddy's body. She was probably an ancestor of Cuddy's with unfinished business. Cameron just hoped the spirit didn't harm her friend.

Cuddy turned to face her and smiled. Her eyes glowed briefly and then returned to their normal blue-grey color.

"We should get back," Cameron said. She looked at the others. They all had their normal auras. Only Cuddy's was different. Cameron couldn't sense anything evil from the spirit; simply determination. She would have to keep a close eye on her. Suddenly, Cuddy's aura shifted and returned to normal. The spirit was gone as suddenly as she appeared. It was possible the spirit was unable to exist outside the area around the common house.

Cuddy fell into step beside her. "Don't you have a date with Wilson tonight?"

"Yeah," Cameron responded. "But I think he's going to break up with me."

"Because of the whole I see dead people thing?" Cuddy laughed.

"Yeah, I made the mistake of telling him some of the things the spirits were telling me about him. I'm sure he's already told Doctor House all about it."

Cameron felt something shift in Cuddy. She grabbed Cameron's arm.

"House?" she asked. "There is a person named House here?"

The others had moved off so Cameron peered into Cuddy's eyes. "Who are you?" she asked softly.

"There is a person named House here?" the spirit repeated.

"Yes."

Cuddy blinked and shook her head slightly. "I think I've had enough hiking for today." She laughed slightly. "Let's head back to Princeton."

Cameron nodded and they began to walk back to where the cars were parked. She would figure out what was going on with Cuddy later.

The moment Ann saw the woman who could be her daughter she knew she had to inhabit her. Finding out the other woman called Cameron could see her and sense her caused her a moment of concern. However, she soon realized Cameron was a true witch. Since she radiated nothing but kindness, Ann felt safe with her. Hearing there was a possible descendant of John House filled her with elation. Finally she would have her revenge on him.

The next morning, Ann looked at the clothes her ancestor favored. This Lisa Cuddy seemed to enjoy showing her body to all and sundry. Ann pulled out the least provocative clothing and when she couldn't figure out how to dress, pulled back and allowed Lisa to take over. She remained close to Lisa as she washed in a stall made of glass, then rubbed a fragrant potion into her skin, used a loud device to quickly dry her hair and then applied paints of some sort to her face. Ann had to admit the final result was pleasing to the eyes.

Once Lisa was dressed, she picked up a small bottle of liquid and sprayed it lightly on her wrists and throat. Ann then followed Lisa as she gathered up her things and walked out of the house. Everything was so different from the world Ann inhabited. She followed Lisa to a strange contraption. When Lisa enclosed herself within it, Ann slid inside. When it began to move, Ann realized it was a horseless carriage. The speed at which it traveled was terrifying. Finally they arrived at a large building and Ann followed Lisa inside. People moved about and Ann could see other spirits milling around. She ignored them and looked at the man standing at a strange enclosure. He turned and Ann gasped. He was here. John House was here! Then he smiled and Ann realized it was not Magistrate House but one of his descendants. The resemblance was both fascinating and horrible. This man smiled lazily as Lisa walked up to him.

"Hiding the fun bags today?" he asked Lisa.

Ann waited for her to slap him but instead she laughed.

"It's a little chilly today, House," Lisa responded.

He pulled the lapels of her coat open and smiled again. "So I can see."

Lisa slapped his hand away. "Don't you have a patient?"

"Nope. No one is dying of any strange diseases yet."

Lisa reached around him to take a handful of pink papers from the woman in the enclosure. "Well," she commented. "You may not have work to do but some of us do."

She walked away and Ann started to follow her when she saw her beloved Evan walking toward her. It took her several moments to realize he wasn't a spirit. This man was one of Evan's ancestors. The closer he got the more differences she saw between this man and her husband. His voice was the same, though.

"House," he said. "We need to talk."

Ann decided to follow them. She could always find Lisa later.

They got into a box with doors that magically closed. Ann floated near them as the box moved. When the magic box stopped, they got out and walked down a hallway crowded with spirits. They all seemed lost and some called out to Ann but she ignored them.

She followed the two men into a room. House moved to sit behind a table and Evan's ancestor sat in a chair in front of it.

"You broke up with Cameron, didn't you?" House asked as he leaned back in the chair. "Not needy enough for you, Wilson?"

Ann gasped. This was one of Evan's ancestors. He lived on after all.

"Actually, she broke up with me." He leaned forward. "House, she can talk to the dead."

House laughed loudly. "That what she told you? Was this before or after you slept with her?"

Wilson got up (Ann could no longer think of him as Evan) and walked to the door. "I don't know why I even bother talking to you."

"Oh, sit down."

Wilson turned and put his hands on his hips. Ann smiled. Evan used to do that when they disagreed about something.

"She really does see dead people, House. Why don't you talk to her instead of stalking her and find out?"

"I have a girlfriend, remember? The constitutional lawyer? Besides, I don't stalk Cameron as you so crudely put it. I just usually happen to be in the same place she is."

Wilson laughed. "Keep telling yourself that, House." He turned, opened the door and left.

House shook his head and Ann moved closer to him.

"I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do," she told him.

He turned and seemed to look at her. Then he shivered. She moved closer. He stiffened and then stretched. As he got up, he passed through her and she sensed he was nothing like Magistrate House. She didn't care. This man would pay for the sins of the Magistrate.